WILLIMANTIC, Conn. - The seventh-seeded Castleton University women's basketball team saw its season come to an end Tuesday evening, falling 56-37 to second-seeded Eastern Connecticut in the Little East Conference Quarterfinals.

The Spartans hung with the tough Warriors squad throughout the first half, eventually trailing by five at halftime. A strong second half would send Eastern to the LEC Semifinals, where it will face the No. 3 seed, UMass Dartmouth. 

Kelly Vuz led Castleton with 15 points and added a team-high three assists. Lauren Pratt followed with nine points. Ryleigh Coloutti and Liz Bailey had four apiece, while Delaney Whitehead, Olivia Perry, and Gwyn Tatton rounded out the scoring. Tatton led the Spartans with six rebounds.

The hosts were led by Anna Barry, who went 10-for-12 from the field and registered a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Julie Keckler was the only other Warrior to reach double-figures with 16 points. Keckler tied Danielle O'Brien for the team-lead with four assists. 

Castleton raced to a 7-2 lead in the early minutes of the first quarter as Vuz scored five of the Spartans' first seven. Eastern would storm back to take an 11-9 lead at the end of the opening frame. The Warriors led by as many as eight in the second quarter, but the Spartans trimmed the lead to five in the final minutes of the opening half.

Eastern would pull away with a 19-point third to lead 43-30 heading into the final 10 minutes. The Warriors expanded their lead in the fourth despite five points from Vuz. 

Castleton wraps up the season with an overall record of 12-13. The program is set to return its four leading scorers for the 2022-23 season.